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Punchestown 2024
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- Review fairyhouse 1st Dec
Review fairyhouse 1st Dec
Midnight Game leads Staying Article
© Photo Healy Racing
Davy Russell bagged a treble at Fairyhouse, including an impressive performance from Midnight Game in the Fairyhouse On Facebook Hurdle.
4-9 favourite Staying Article was travelling better at the second last, but the Willie Mullins-trained 5-2 chance swept to the lead between the last two, and when the market leader was clumsy over the last, Midnight Game ran on for a seven-length success.
Dessie Hughes' Bright New Dawn lowered the colours of the highly-regarded Ned Buntline and Lord Of Lords when making all in the Tote Jackpot Races 3 To 5 Maiden Hurdle.
Russell's mount looked there to be got at two from home, but try as Ned Buntline might, he could not reel in the 5-1 chance, who went on to score by a length and a quarter.
The final instalment of Russell's treble came when Bog Warrior (4-5) took advantage of a very lenient hurdles mark to turn the Ryan's Cleaning Services Handicap Hurdle into a procession, winning by eight lengths from Wise Oscar
Though his jumping was far from foot perfect, Mount Benbulben got off the mark over fences in the Nicky Connors - Lifetime In Racing Beginners Chase.
Davy Condon nursed the 8-13 favourite into contention after a terrible blunder at the second and he travelled smoothly into the lead on the home turn, povercoming another sketchy leap at the last to win by five lengths from Mackeys Forge
Russell's attempts to make all on Far Away So Close in the Bar One Racing Ballyhack Handicap Chase only came unstuck in the closing stages as Lead Kindly Light (11-1) proved too strong up the home straight, winning by two and a quarter lengths under Andrew Leigh.< King Of Queens proved strongest of all in the Bar One Racing Handicap Hurdle.
Tom Mullins' 7-2 favourite was one of a host of runners in with claims two out, but he stayed on strongly to beat Celtic Cailin by two and a quarter lengths.